CHAPTER VIII: VOICES IN THE FOREST
The infirmary room was filled with girls from the Academy, one of them, Martis, was panicked and stood above his bed.
« Oh wow, what is this mess? »
One of the girls, holding a box of chocolates, stepped forward and said with a smile:
« We all came to give you a get-well gift after your fight. »
One of the girls grabbed Halnea from behind and pulled her out of the room. Once outside, one of the girls pointed down the hallway with an annoyed look and told her:
« Get out immediately. »
She wanted to say a word but didn't have the courage. She turned on her heel and started to leave, the bitterness of her life returning again.
« Tsk, I thought I was normal for a moment. What was I thinking, I'm really pathetic, » she thought as she walked away.
The girls had filled the room, Martis didn't know where to look, all of them wanted him to take their gifts. In this chaos, Leolio arrived and grabbed his hand, saying:
« Follow me if you want to live. »
He pulled her and both, forcing their way through, left the room. Arriving in the hallway, they started running, with the girls chasing them. Martis, while running, asked:
« What's the problem with the girls here? »
Leolio, still running, replied:
« You are a Leomor, your family is the second most powerful after the royal family. So, when the girls at the school learned you were in the infirmary, you can imagine they would want to score points with you. So if you want peace, run! »
« Got it, » Martis yelled, speeding up.
A few minutes later, they had arrived in front of the Academy, Martis was completely out of breath, he couldn't take it anymore.
« Oh my God, I have... I have no breath left, I'm exhausted. »
Leolio handed him his bag while mocking him.
« Haha, you're really not very enduring. Take your bag. »
Martis took it but didn't understand why he was giving it to him.
« Thanks, but why are you giving it to me? »
« Well, classes are over. You stayed in the infirmary for five hours. »
Martis yelled in astonishment:
« What? What do you mean five hours? »
« Well, she exposed your rib cage, it took quite a while to treat you. »
Martis smiled, thinking back to the fight, and said:
« Ah, there's nothing to say, that girl is terrible. »
Both started walking towards the exit where their carriage was waiting.
« Say, Leolio, can you tell me what you know about Halnea, please? »
Leolio thought for a moment and then said:
« Well, I don't know much about her apart from her fighting skills, and also... »
« And also what? » Martis asked.
« She's the most bullied person in the Academy. But every time the teachers ask her if it's true, she always denies it. And she avoids me like the plague. »
Hearing this, Martis understood why she wanted to apologize, it must have been one of the ways they tortured her.
Leolio headed towards his carriage, saying:
« Well, I'd like to tell you more but I have to go, my carriage is waiting for me. See you tomorrow, Martis. »
« I hope you'll see me on the way, » Martis replied.
Martis headed towards his carriage, his butler opened the door for him, saying:
« Good evening, dear Mr. Martis, I hope your first day went well? »
Martis replied with a smile:
« Yeah, it was great! »
The butler, surprised by this behavior, asked:
« Uh, Sir, are you smiling? »
« Yes, why do you ask? » Martis asked, taking his seat.
« Well, it's the first time I've seen you smile in seventeen years, you'll understand why I'm surprised. »
« Yeah, I see. Let's just say everyone can change. »
The butler smiled, then closed the door and drove the carriage towards the exit.
Martis was in the carriage, thinking about what had happened to him during the day: Wukong, Halnea, and all the others.
A few kilometers further, in the Hanezere forest, in one of the hidden caves deep within the forest, several individuals in black attire were gathered inside. Some were kneeling while others were standing. In front of them, there was a huge statue of a winged woman holding a shield and a sword. Beneath this statue, there were four men in white hoods, around them 16 in golden hoods, and in the middle two in white-gold hoods.
In front of the man with the two-colored hood, a man in a black tunic stepped forward and said:
« My greetings, Master Norbert, I have come to give you my report. The aura of the goddess is indeed there, in this Academy. You were right again. »
The man with the two-colored hood began to speak as if reciting a poem, his face hidden under the hood.
« Oh, the oil of truth was right then, so that's where the soul of our beloved goddess is, isn't it? I should have suspected it. »
The kneeling man asked:
« Master Norbert, what do you think? Should we bring her here directly? »
« No, not now, not now, it's not time yet. If the prophecy is to be believed, it is in eight months that she must be here. We will catch her in the sixth month, but for now, rest. »
The man with the multicolored hood approached those who were kneeling and raised his voice in the cave, saying loudly:
« Oh you, dear faithful of the goddess! You who pray to her ceaselessly! Your relentless prayers have paid off! Our goddess has been found! And soon you will see her. »
Then, in a darker voice, he added:
« To take her back, don't worry! If we have to destroy all of Solarius, we will! Who is with me? »
War cries echoed throughout the cave, all these men were ready to destroy everything to get this person back. Who was she? This detail was still a mystery, but what was certain is that the Academy of the Defeated was targeted, where Martis was studying.
The man turned, facing the statue, raising his hand to the sky, saying to the statue:
« Oh Great Goddess, we have put our faith in you and soon you will be among us. »